Joe Blog

Finally finished the second part of last Sunday night's HBO premiere of McCullough's JOHN ADAMS mini. I thought it was astounding.

I never read the book, though I'm tempted to check out 1776 in the near future. I love the story of this nation's founding and the perspective offered from Adams is wonderful and enlightening. But it wasn't his happening upon the aftermath of The Boston Massacre, the spirited defense of both the British soldiers involved and the laws upon which this nation's very justification rested, or the evolution of John Adams from private lawyer to revolutionary to President of the country he helped found that struck me the most.

It was the story's portrayal of Thomas Jefferson, reluctant author of the Declaration of Independence. Upon delivering his draft, famously inclusive of language condemning the sale and possession of slaves which would later be excised... poor Jefferson has to sit there and listen to Adams and Ben Franklin pick through his words and offer what amounts to the eighteenth century version of notes.

Jefferson, founder of the Democratic Party and would-be President himself, one day, had to endure the Continental Congress' version of the story meeting with studio executives, producers and marketing seated around the conference table.

I, personally, though the word "self-evident" was the better choice.

But I felt for poor Jefferson I really did.